Wednesday's Save Our Gulf Gumbo

Yesterday I arrived in Galveston, Texas to visit the Galveston Baykeeper, Charlotte Wells. As I write this post, I’m sitting in her front living room looking out on to the Galveston Bay. A sight that is breathtaking for a couple reasons; the bright clear sunshine, the choppy waters of the Bay, the many birds that call it home and the concentration of dirty energy facilities with their the smog that nestles itself just above countless smokestacks. I wish I were poet so that could write something powerful about this sight before me.

Just two weeks after I started as Save Our Gulf Coordinator, all the Waterkeepers came together in mid-February to discuss our goals and objectives for the next year. We plotted and planned and came up with some powerful projects to help restore and protect the Gulf coast. But we also found time to make this great video about who we are. We are Save Our Gulf.

Here are a few things from Save Our Gulf members this week:

Galveston Baykeeper: GBK co-hosted a screening of the newly released Story of Stuff Project Video: Citizen’s United vs FEC last night. After the screening there was a panel discussion on how this new law of the land impacts our work. Charlotte asked me to sit on the panel. I spoke about how industry pollutors are gutting our environmental laws in the recently passed US House budget. The Citizens United supreme court case has vast impacts on our ability to protect our community against corporate control of our government. Watch the video and host a screening of your own for your friends and family.

Emerald Coastkeeper: ECK recently hired a new Executive Director, Rusti Butte. We are really excited to begin working with her. This morning ECK posted a blog about the campaign to call Gulf coast seafood safe. It's an inssue that is hits at the heart of all our communities, our local economies, our health, and the nation-wide impacts of the oil and gas industry. With our people still sick, how can we be sure that our seafood isn't also sick.

NOAA Seeks Public Input for Coastal Restoration Projects: Over the next two months NOAA will be hosting public meetings around the Gulf coast seeking public comment and suggestions for coastal restoration projects. The first meeting is March 16 in Pensacola. Check out the times and locations of all 11 meetings. Save Our Gulf needs your help to make sure that all coastal restoration projects in the wake of the BP oil disaster are fair, equitable, and appropriate.

Covering the Gulf Coast: Each week I upload media links over on the Media page on important articles that are covering the oil disaster impacts and our community. Check out last week's list of articles.